Scuba Fusion

I recently got certified with Danny as my instructor and it was a great experience! He kept things light and fun (but still safe and educational) during the weekend in the classroom/​pool as well as the chilly weekend in Monterey. I’m so glad I chose Scuba Fusion and even happier I had the best instructor! Can’t wait to come back for more dives and advanced courses.

did eLearning for a referral. Awesome instructors, good quality gear, very happy with my experience. Danny and William are top notch.

I had my first scuba lesson at Scuba Fusion this weekend and loved it. I had Danny as my teacher and he is an amazingly skilled teacher. He gave us very detailed instructions and was patient beyond words! especially given that we were all women and asked hundreds of questions!
I would definitely recommend anyone who wants to dive to come to Scuba Fusion, especially take a class with Danny. I felt safe and felt like it was a fun and yet a very professional learning environment. Thank you :)

Instructor: Dan (5 stars)
Logistics (negatives included day one time change, transporting equipment): 4.5 stars
I was completely hooked to scuba diving after being introduced to it in Bali during our honeymoon. I wanted to get my open water certification. Pronto. I chose Scuba Fusion because of their weekend schedule, location, and reviews.
I went with the class route versus eLearner route. I am a better learner in a classroom setting. It allowed more space to focus on the material and ask questions. I highly recommend that you pick up your homework 2 weeks prior to starting class. Yes, that’s right. There is homework. It does take time to read through the material and complete the quizzes. There is also a DVD to watch. DVD material corresponds nicely to the book material.
I recommend that you buy your scuba gear at the shop (i.e., mask, snorkel, boots, and fins). Scuba Fusion offers a no questions asked exchange policy on snorkeling gear. The policy is good for Scuba Fusion students only during the class/​pool portion of the Open Water Course. The staff are friendly and very knowledgable. During this trip to the shop, you will get fitted for your wetsuit and your BCD.
Day One (Class/​Pool/​Class):
We met at the shop at 7:30am. The earlier time was due to pool availability. The schedule was originally advertised to start at 9am. Dan introduced us to our scuba diving equipment. We were a small group of 5. Not sure if this is Scuba Fusion’s typical class size. We loaded our cars with our equipment. This is a minor downside. Not a big deal. This is where it comes in handy to have a car. Two students did not and the rest of us took turns with giving them rides to the pool and back to the shop. The premises were clean. Small shower and changing room with restrooms. Dan gave us a summary of what to expect for today’s pool session, as well as what to expect for tomorrow. No surprises. I enjoyed his teaching style. He shared his scuba knowledge. He also shared his personal scuba challenges/​successes, as well as common mistakes he has seen as an instructor. After we were done with the pool, we were given a lunch break. Afterwards, we met at the shop for classroom time.
Day Two (Pool):
We were responsible for bringing our equipment to the pool on day two. Make sure you have room in your car for this. Meet time was later at 8:30am. The first part of day two is the swimming test. You are expected to demonstrate that you can comfortably maintain yourself in water too deep in which to stand by completing a 10-​minute swim/​float without using any swim aids. You are also expected to complete a 200 yard continuous surface swim or a 300 yard swim with mask, fins and snorkel. I chose the latter. I am not the most confident swimmer and I made it out alive. :) If it has been a while since you have hit the pool, I recommend that you test yourself. I did this a week prior to make sure that I could pass. Dan taught us more scuba skills in the pool, which built off the ones from the day before. Afterwards, we returned to the shop to return the equipment, to quickly debrief, and to iron out logistics for ocean dives.
Referral Course:
After two days of classroom academics and pool instruction, Dan signed me off to complete my ocean dives elsewhere. This was my personal preference. I read reviews about the diving conditions in Monterey (low visibility, cold, etc.) in the local diving school reviews. I opted out for warm water and better visibility: Honolulu. You have a year to complete the four ocean dives if you do the referral course.
After taking my referral course through Scuba Fusion, I felt very comfortable and prepared during my four ocean dives in Honolulu. Overall, I highly recommend Scuba Fusion.

Great instructors, great staff. Danny, Chis, and Bill are amazing. It’s the only dive shop on the peninsula that does only scuba. I don’t want swim lessons, a canoe or kayak, or get a concealed weapons permit course (Seriously, WTF?) I want my dive shop to be a dive shop. I can highly recommend Scuba Fusion.

Just attended a CPR/​AED and first aide certification class with Scuba a Fusion. It was great and very thorough. Dan and Dave were awesome. They made the class entertaining while ensuring I had all of the knowledge of CPR. I can’t wait to take my scuba diving class with them too!

I have taken the certification course and am now certified scuba diver these folks have kept it at low cost, rental gear is also low cost, instruction and confidence builders major part of classes Nina and Joe run a store and have great advice on what equipment to buy and what to hold off on William the director organizes great classes Chris great instruction in the pool and get you comfortable with wearing the equipment Danny great instruction and open water

These guys are awesome. Went here to get PADI open water certified and it was a breeze. Very knowledgable and fun instructors made sure everyone was on track, going out of their way to provide individual help when students had issues. Definitely will come back here for any scuba needs in the future!

My husband is open water certified and I needed to get my certification so that we could go diving together during our Southeast Asia trip. I did some research on both Unilocal and general internet and Scuba Fusion seemed to have better reviews at the time.
I am so glad that I chose Scuba Fusion because I had an amazing experience getting my certification. EVERYONE at the shop is genuine and share a passion for diving. They honestly want to get more people in the water. Although Scuba Fusion is relatively far from Oakland, I looked forward to each session as well as the open water dives in Monterey.
I also chose to buy all of my equipment here at the shop and Nina did not pressure me to buy sleeker diving gear at all. She gave me the once-​over for each item and then let me make my own decision about them. In the end, I opted for middle of the road diving gear because I didn’t see myself diving a lot in California (it’s cold!).
All of my instructors were wonderful and exceptionally patient with everyone in the water. I felt comfortable right away. The open water sessions are held in Monterey. Some people decided to commute but my husband and I chose to stay there overnight to avoid waking up at 4am in order to get to the beach by 7am.
Whether you’re interested in getting your open water certification, advanced, or specialized certifications, Scuba Fusion is the place to do it!

Learning to dive has been a dream of ours for awhile, so for an anniversary gift I registered my husband and I for a certification class. It was basically a no-​brainer to choose Scuba Fusion, one quick scroll through all of their reviews and I was sold. And I could not be happier with my choice. Right from the beginning Scuba Fusion was nothing but professional, friendly, and resourceful. We were given a robust outline of what to expect from the course, what we needed to get ahead of time, where to go and when, etc.
Our first experience was picking out our gear in the store with Joe, who was super helpful and patient with us, while we tried on various masks and boots. He explained differences, and helped us choose the gear that would be best fit for us, which took about 2 hours so make sure you carve out time, but it’s thorough so you know you’re getting the right stuff, not just grabbing things off the shelf.
You’ll spend a good bit of time prepping for the course on your own prior to, reading the book and watching the dvd, which is good because then the actual classroom session is more hands on and getting to review basics with the instructor. All of the materials, as intensive as they are, really prepare you for what you’ll do first the pool and afterwards in the ocean.
We were fortunate enough to have the same instructor for both our pool session and our ocean outing (highly recommend doing the ocean dive @ Monterey with Scuba Fusion, it’s a one-​of-​a-​kind). Our instructor was Dan, and I can’t say enough awesome things about him. He has the best sense of humor so he makes learning fun and lightens what otherwise can sometimes be a scary or at least anxious situation. But most of all, he’s INCREDIBLY knowledgeable and patient with you. He literally knows everything about every situation that might come up, every fear or concern you might have, and I’m pretty sure a solution for all of it. I particularly feel grateful for his expertise because I was having a really difficult time with the mask flood during the ocean dive, so much so that I was feeling frustrated with myself and really discouraged that I might not be able to complete the course. But Dan was SO patient and kind to me, encouraging me every step of the way. He stayed out there with me until I got it, showing me different techniques, letting me practice in shallower water, and holding onto me the entire time so to ease my fears (literally and figuratively). When I finally mastered it on day 2, I felt so proud of myself and so appreciative of his mentorship getting me there. And he did all of that while keeping us laughing and having fun the whole time. It’s impossible to be even the smallest bit frightened with him around.
Diving is amazing and I think my husband and I have fallen in love with a new sport. We have every intention of continuing our training with Scuba Fusion, taking the advanced class, going on trips, and getting our gear from there. We love supporting local small businesses, and this is the best of the best. Thank you Dan and Joe and Will for all your help!

This is a small little shop, privately owned and operated. I am new to the area, and was asking questions on where to dive in NorCal. Not only did they give me a couple local places, they took the time to google books that would help further my search and gave me different websites to look at. They also took the time to answer several of my gear questions, and let me dive with their advance class, and take a tour with them as I don’t have any dive buddies up here yet. I can tell you, you would not get that kind of friendly service from a chain dive shop. Way to make a new diver feel welcome into the community.

There are several great scuba shops in the Bay Area, but none like Scuba Fusion. I decided to get my Open Water certification through Scuba Fusion due to the fantastics reviews on Unilocal.Man am I glad I went through these guys!
Will, the owner runs a small shop that is more interested in getting people in the water and diving vs. trying to sell unnecessary equipment. I probably spent a good hour the first time in there asking questions and understanding the requirements for getting certified.
The certification days in the pool were beyond my expectation. Danny, one of the staff laid down some hilarious jokes to keep the mood relaxed and fun. Chris, my instructor went above and beyond, helping me out with everything from suiting/​gearing up to fin pivots and hovering. The next weekend, I drove down to Monterey to finish up the certification where Chris and James took us through all the skills and even got to swim around and see all Monterey has to offer. They always served the needs of the customers, answering any questions and just provided quality friendship.
The shop also offers amazing dive trips to Cozumel, Fiji, and the Channel Islands. I just recently went on the Channel Islands trip accompanied with Chris, Joe, and Connie. The trip was breathtaking, stunning kelp forest, lobsters, octopi, and sea lions. All the instructors were wonderful to hang out with and talk about diving and other fun things.
This shop has definitely won my heart and support for life.
If you want a shop who truly cares about your enjoyment and success as a diver, look no further than Scuba Fusion.

I had been interested in diving for many years, and I loved snorkeling, so I decided to get my diving certification in April 2015 as the next step. I called around to a few dive shops, and decided to stop by this one. Within a few minutes I was signed up for my certification class!
I felt no pressure to buy diving gear, which would have unsettled me. The in-​class portion was quick and painless, and helped my understand what to expect. The pool section takes place over two ways in the San Mateo College pool. The instructor (mine was William) was able to take our group of 5 through all the exercises and we felt comfortable in the water and with the gear.
The open water part of the class is in Monterey. In April the visibility was really low, meaning it was hard to see far in the water. But my group of six still felt comfortable in the water, with instructor Chris. Unfortunately my regulator failed during one of the exercises and started free flowing, but Chris was there in seconds and he helped fix it. I wasn’t alarmed and all in all the situation helped me feel even more comfortable under water.
If you live in the Bay Area and are considering diving, I recommend you give these folks a visit. I’ll definitely be going back this summer for my Advanced Open Water certification.
As a side note, my birthday was incorrect on the Certification Card sent by PADI. However, after a brief phone call they sent me a corrected one for free.

I just finished my Open Water Certification with Scuba Fusion, and I couldn’t be happier with my experience.
The first time I visited the shop, I talked to the store’s owner, William about the certification course and he was very patient and helpful explaining everything to me. I signed up shortly afterward. The next step was to buy my personal gear and and getting fitted for my wet suit size, and the girl who works at the shop, Nina, was very helpful in getting me through that process. She also explained that I could try out all my gear during the first weekend (in the swimming pool) and I could swap out any gear that wasn’t fitting me well.
The first weekend of the certification consisted of a weekend with mornings spent in class, and the afternoon in the swimming pool. The in class portion was lead by an instructor named Chris. He did a great job explaining all the important concepts, and overall it didn’t feel boring or tedious. As for the swimming pool, it was a lot of fun and was great for getting me comfortable with all my gear in the water. There are a bunch of skills you need to learn and then demonstrate that you can do properly, plus a basic swimming test you need to pass on the 2^nd day.
The final step of the certification was to do 4 dives over a weekend in Monterey (San Carlos Beach). I was originally scheduled to do this in December, but unfortunately there was a last minute weather change that created unfavorable conditions for beginners. William called off the training, and explained that I could reschedule at no additional cost. Obvious this was just bad luck and not the fault of scuba fusion, and it was a good call to call off the training given the unsafe conditions.
My luck was much better on the 2^nd attempt, and the conditions ended being great (for the most part). We had a small group of just 3 people, and the instruction was lead by William and another instructor named Danny. Like William, Danny is a very experience instructor, and has the additional trait of being very funny (sometimes).
Most the the open water training consisted of re-​enforcing the skills learned in the pool and learning how to descend/​ascend properly. Some of the skills are definitely more challenging than others (ie mask removal underwater!) but the instructors were great with getting us through them all. Overall it was a blast and we all got certified! Woohoo!
I would totally recommend Scuba Fusion to anyone who is interested in learning how to dive!

Ever since I was 17 and could afford my own car, I became addicted to the ocean. Between Surfing, beach bonfires, fishing, and Scuba Diving, I can not spend more than a few weeks away from the great pacific. I have been diving with S.F. for 3 years now and the community of divers and instructors that frequent Scuba Fusion are world class.
I teach diving at Scuba Fusion and highly enjoy every class, challenge, trip and sushi dinner with the rest of the crew here. I’ve stayed a customer (I have spent more $$ on gear and travel than you ever will) and teacher here because of one reason: Will, the owner, runs a small «mom and pop» shop where in everyone enjoys one another. Diving is a fantastic sport, and although no one speaks to each other underwater, I highly enjoy spending time between dives with the community of repeat customers and volunteers. The Instructional staff does not do this for a living, a very important distinction when choosing a dive shop. Between the patent attorney, salesman, paramedic, and ironworker (myself), we all simply enjoy exposing everyone to the ocean safely and in fun.
Scuba Fusion has a perfect safety record, sells the latest diving gear, and offers world and local travel. Everything also comes with a side of professionalism.
This is my first Unilocal review and obviously a somewhat self promoting one (I am a product of my environment I suppose), however first and foremost, I am a happy customer with Scuba Fusion. Perhaps I may see you in the pool or out in the ocean soon!
–Chris

Oh my goodness! Scuba Fusion was fabulous.
I’ve wanted to dive for a very long time but I was concerned that I would be too anxious for it. I read a lot about different groups and I chose Scuba Fusion based on a friend’s excited review of them, and the fact that I knew I could be in a warm pool!
I definitely made the right choice! Wow! Chris, super lovely dude who teaches classes because he wants to get more folks in the water and get to dive more, taught the classroom academics. Explained the mathier parts, and united a group with diverse backgrounds and skills.
Dani was my pool teacher and was super fabulous too. He cracked a lot of jokes out of the water, but once we were in he was funny at all the right times. He was very cool, calm, collected and explained everything at a perfect pace. A lot of my anxiety was dissipated when he told me it was normal, and that him and many other dive instructors had to deal with anxiety when they first started too. Breathing underwater was the most amazing thing ever. When we got to some of the «emergency» exercises I got panicked when I had to take off my mask. I went to the top, and Dani super calmly and expediently calmed me down and I was able to do the rest of the exercises easily. It was so efficient it didn’t even slow down the rest of the class for more than a minute.
Only downside is you got to have your fins, mask, and goggles. You cant rent that from them. I borrowed from a friend, but I could see why they urged you to buy some of that stuff because fit is so important. My friend’s mask didn’t fit me right and it was a bummer. Luckily Dani lent me his extra one!
Thanks Scuba Fusion for being so kind, fabulous, educational and supportive.

I’ve been diving in NorCal and it’s COLD. I decided it was time to move from thick wet suits to more comfortable dry suits, so I took Scuba Fusion’s «Dry Suit Sunday» class. The class was awesome. We had a small group (only 4 of us) with William as our instructor. We started out assembling gear and covering the classroom bits, then moved to the pool. The pool session was fun and informative and really prepped us for the Monterey dives the following week.
I was so impressed with the dry suits that we used in the class (White’s/AquaLung Fusion suits) that I went back and purchased my own Fusion Tec dry suit package. William helped out with getting the order placed and making sure it arrived in time for me to take along on my next dive trip.
Overall — great customer service with very knowledgeable and friendly staff. I definitely recommend Scuba Fusion.

I took my time deciding which shop to get my certification from. I went with Scuba Fusion because it seemed to me to have the best balance of cost and quality. Everyone on Unilocal seemed to love these guys – with good reason.
From helping me buy my gear, through the pool and the classroom, all the way to Monterey, everyone I met from the shop was very knowledgable, friendly, and fun to be around. They all have a passion for diving, which is so infectious when you’re spending the whole weekend with them.
I personally didn’t have too many issues getting through the program, but there were some in the classes who needed extra attention. Each of the instructors went out of their way to make sure everyone got as much from the program as they could. And when one person struggled with an underwater skill in Monterey, I saw one of the instructors take them separately on a dive to give them as much one-​on-​one time as they could. They want to see you do well, and they will give you all the opportunities they can to make that happen.
Really fantastic dive shop. I highly recommend going with them.
PS-​If you’re lucky, you might see The BatMan.

I had gone on a few ‘unofficial’ dives before deciding to get certified. I couldn’t have picked a better place to learn! Rashed, our classroom and pool instructor, was fantastic. There are two ways to learn… — The first is because the book says so — The second is practical tips and a deeper understanding of the very important hows/​whys/​when. Rashed took the time to teach us with the latter approach. He’s got a great sense of humor, went above and beyond to ensure everyone felt comfortable, and certainly reiterated the important rules of diving several times.
Moving on to our certification dives in Monterey. Let’s be honest — diving in Monterey isn’t easy. We had 4.5 feet visibility, currents, and it was miserably cold. I was beyond thankful to have Will and Dan there — pushing us and continuing to test us while providing ample guidance to navigate through the conditions.
Overall, I left feeling like I had truly learned. I have gone to several dives since then, and feel like the foundation provided by Scuba Fusion is going to keep me safe while I continue to explore the underwater world.

We evaluated multiple options across the peninsula and San Francisco before we chose Scuba Fusion. We even went so far as to take a full orientation and filling out our forms at another location in San Francisco, but, we opted for Scuba Fusion once we saw their flexibility in scheduling, professional staff, and competitive prices (among scuba certifications at least).
Danny and Bill keep the classes fun with their jokes, but when it comes to learning, they are very helpful and want to see you succeed.
We did the referral program so we did two days of classes with two days of pool diving and were impressed with the amount of exercises we learned in the pool. The pool used is also fantastic — an Olympic pool at College of San Mateo. Most other schools use their own pool or a much smaller pool.
All in all, a great experience with a solid staff. I will be back to buy some scuba equipment before our trip!